


That's Politics, Baby!

by otaiwanmei



Series: Don't Send Nudes to Your Professors [1]
Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, M/M, Misunderstandings, actually just don't do anything any of the characters do in this fic, don't send nudes to your professors guys, esp not what younghyun does, he very naughty, younghyun bad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 07:28:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26469442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/otaiwanmei/pseuds/otaiwanmei
Summary: "Oh my god, I can't believe it! We're destined to become professor fuckers together! I knew you were my best friend for a reason!" Younghyun crows, dragging Dowoon in for a squeeze.Dowoon cringes."Can you please not call us that.""Why not? I wanna fuck Professor Park and you wanna fuck- oh my god, their last names are both Park! We're Park fuckers!"Younghyun breaks into obnoxious laughter, doubled over as he wheezes, and Dowoon buries his face in his hands.I'll just blame it all on Younghyun, Dowoon thinks. Yeah. Sounds like a plan.-tldr: in which Dowoon has a crush, and it's on Park Jaehyung, Professor of Modern Politics.
Relationships: Kang Younghyun | Young K/Park Sungjin, Park Jaehyung | Jae/Yoon Dowoon
Series: Don't Send Nudes to Your Professors [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1924255
Comments: 11
Kudos: 85





	That's Politics, Baby!

**Author's Note:**

> The Sungbri part of this story actually came to my mind first and later birthed this part; Jaewoon was simply too adorable in this universe not to write. But this story comes first timeline-wise. 
> 
> (Disclaimer: I do not encourage or endorse romantic/sexual relationships with professors. This is just a fic. For fun!!)

"I want him."

"Who? _Him_?" Dowoon asks, pointing at the stocky guy in a suit not thirty feet in front of them who's currently going over the course syllabus.

"Yeah," Younghyun sighs dreamily.

"Hyung, that's a _professor_!"

"So?"

"So, he's _old_!"

"He can't be that old, he looks pretty young for a PhD."

"He's probably, like, 40."

"No way! 30 at most."

Dowoon scoffs.

"Okay, Hyung."

"What? He's adorable. Like a teddy bear."

Dowoon shoots him a look.

"You sure have weird tastes, dude."

Younghyun’s obviously not listening anymore, gazing at their Psych 101 professor with stars in his eyes.

Over their three and a half years of uni together, Dowoon's become more than well-acquainted with Younghyun’s intense (and often fleeting) admirations. It's how they'd met, after all; Younghyun boldly asking for his number during freshman orientation.

The reason why they're still such good friends now, even after Dowoon had uncomfortably rejected him, is that Younghyun had been one of the first to crack his shy, awkward personality.

Dowoon's always admired Younghyun’s ability to read people and instantly decide if he wants to pursue them, and- judging by the way Younghyun’s now writing down their professor's name, office number, and email along with tiny hearts- it's definitely a go this time.

Sure enough, as soon as class is over, Younghyun tells him not to wait as he dumps his things in his bag, quickly bounding down the steps to the front of the classroom.

Professor Park looks surprised at the overly eager student chatting him up on the very first day of class.

Then, he smiles, face taking on a completely different feeling from the stern, professorly aura he'd had throughout lecture.

Dowoon shakes his head in disbelief.

Younghyun’s friendly attitude and handsome face never fail to charm.

Maybe it's because Younghyun had planted the idea in his brain, or maybe it's because Professor Park Jaehyung has the prettiest laugh he's ever heard in his 21 years of living, but something in Dowoon falls the instant he sees the tall, beautiful man at the front of the classroom.

And it falls _hard_.

Professor Park Jaehyung is friendly, funny, and gives out smiles like there's no tomorrow. A complete opposite of a certain other professor.

Moreover, he's got the loveliest long, slender fingers- all porcelain skin and elegantly wrapped around a piece of chalk. Dowoon wants to teach those fingers how to hold a drumstick.

As soon as he realizes he's had that thought, his brain stops working.

And that's conveniently the same exact moment the gorgeous professor decides to call on him.

Dowoon blinks.

_Why are people looking at me?_

"You there- black jacket, longish bangs!"

_Is he looking at me?_

"Yeah, you!"

_Oh my god, he's looking at me._

"What's your name?"

"Y-Yoon Dowoon, sir."

"Why are you taking Modern Politics, Dowoon?"

"Uh... because it's an easy elective?" Dowoon blurts without thinking, brain stumbling to catch up.

_Shit. I shouldn't have said that._

A few students break into whispers behind him. His ears start to heat.

To his surprise, Professor Park laughs.

"Thank you for your honesty," he says, bright, white teeth flashing in a friendly grin. "But just so all of you know, this is _not_ going to be an easy A."

His gaze sweeps across the room.

"I expect a certain level of effort, and if you reach that threshold, then by all means, this class will be an easy A. Fail to meet those expectations, though, and well, just know that I warned you."

Professor Park's eyes glint from behind his spectacles as they land once again on Dowoon, and Dowoon fights the urge to squirm.

Is it bad that that gaze kind of turns him on?

When class is over, he nearly trips in his haste to race out the door, pulling his phone from his jeans to text Younghyun.

_Hyung. Help._

He's about to go into a detailed explanation of how Professor Park Jaehyung has the cutest eye smile and legs that goes for miles (though secretly Dowoon wishes he'd been wearing more fitted pants), when there's a tap on his shoulder.

"Yoon Dowoon, right?"

He startles, nearly dropping his phone as he whirls around.

"P-Professor?!"

"Whoa there, didn't mean to scare you," the man says, chuckling.

"O-oh."

Dowoon can feel his ears start to heat up again. He shifts, wanting to run away right fucking now.

"How are your classes going?"

He blinks.

_Is… is he trying to make conversation?_

"Good?" Dowoon says, confused. Then, he realizes he should probably say more. "I mean, mostly it's just syllabus stuff right now. I expect things will get a lot busier in a few weeks, and then there'll be exams, and I'm really looking forward to your class even though I'm a music major and- um."

He clears his throat to physically prevent himself from rambling on, as he’s prone to do when nervous.

Professor Park, though, just grins; that same friendly smile crinkling the corners of his eyes.

"I'm glad. Music major, huh? What do you play?"

"Uh. Drums," Dowoon responds, managing to keep it short this time.

His professor nods, appropriately impressed expression on his face.

"Cool! Well, I've gotta run off to a meeting now, but looking forward to having you in my class, Dowoon!"

Dazed, Dowoon merely nods as the tall man stalks off with a cheerful wave. His long legs seem to bound down the hallway, till he rounds the corner and disappears.

_What the hell just happened._

" _Oh my god, I can't believe it_! We're destined to become professor fuckers together! I knew you were my best friend for a reason!" Younghyun crows, dragging Dowoon in for a squeeze.

Dowoon cringes.

"Can you please not call us that."

"Why not? I wanna fuck Professor Park and you wanna fuck- _oh my god_ , their last names are both Park! We're _Park fuckers_!"

Younghyun breaks into obnoxious laughter, doubled over as he wheezes, and Dowoon buries his face in his hands.

 _I'll just blame it all on Younghyun,_ Dowoon thinks. _Yeah_. _Sounds like a plan._

The next few weeks pass by in a blink and, as Dowoon had predicted, things get busy.

So busy that he barely has time to think about hot Professor Park.

That is, until Younghyun brings it up again.

"So, how's it going?" Younghyun asks, sliding onto the bench next to where Dowoon is playing a mobile game as he waits for class.

He hums dully in response, focused on getting the character to leap and catch all the coins.

"You know, with _Park Jaehyung_ ~"

Dowoon flinches, missing a jump and crashing into a wall.

" _Can you not say his name like that?!_ " he hisses.

"Like what?"

"Like... loud," Dowoon complains. "And innuendo-y."

"Why? Because you're still in denial over your crush?" Younghyun teases.

"Because I don't want people to get the wrong idea, you pervert."

"What's wrong with wanting to fuck a professor?"

" _Hyung_!" Dowoon whines, mortified. "I don't want to fuck him, I just... want... to hold his hand. And maybe pet his fluffy hair. That's all."

Younghyun snickers.

"You're making him sound like a dog you want to adopt."

"He _is_ a dog," Dowoon bemoans, burying his face in his hands. "But, like, the most gorgeous and cheerful dog you could ever imagine. He's so fucking happy like 24/7, and he bounces down the hallways, Hyung. _Literally_! He's so... _ughh_."

"There, there," Younghyun soothes, patting him on the head. "Crushes are hard, I get it. Have you at least talked to him?"

"I... well..." Dowoon hesitates, looking away.

" _What_. Oh my god, you have! I'm so proud of you, my awkward, introverted bean!"

"It's more like _he_ talks to _me_ ," Dowoon admits, scrunching up his face. "I'm usually the first one in the classroom, so he'll ask me about my day and stuff."

Younghyun wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

"Not like that," Dowoon groans. "We're not like you and..." He twists his face in distaste. " _That other guy_. How's that going, by the way?"

A broad smile spreads across Younghyun’s face, and Dowoon instantly regrets asking.

"He's 28. So, not even 30. Told you so!"

"Dude. That makes him seven years older than you."

"I know."

If anything, Younghyun’s grin only grows wider.

"You wanna know what's even better?"

"No, not really."

" _Your_ Professor Park is 29."

Dowoon's jaw drops open.

" _No_."

"Yes."

" _Fuck_!"

Dowoon drops his head onto his arms, determined to do everything in his power to wither away into nothing.

"Should I send him a nude?"

Dowoon chokes on his bread.

"What the fuck, Hyung?" He asks, coughing his lungs out.

"Or maybe a video is better? What do you think? If I do video, I can add sound, too..." Younghyun contemplates, sipping at his iced americano nonchalantly, as though he's deciding what to buy at the grocery and not the logistics of sending a porn video to his professor.

"That's _harrassment_!" Dowoon says.

"It is not," Younghyun protests. "I know he's into me, Woonie. He's been flirting back, I swear. He called me cute! And remember the other day when we were about to leave, and I went back for my coffee mug? He was totally checking out my ass."

Dowoon had seen that too but really doesn’t want to admit it.

"Hate to burst your bubble, Hyung, but he didn't call you cute. You asked him if he thought your outfit was cute, and he said _'Yeah, I guess,'_ " Dowoon says, mimicking Sungjin's gruff way of talking.

"But then he blushed! Which means he totally likes me."

"Whatever you wanna believe..."

"I'm gonna do it,” Younghyun retorts. “And then we're gonna fuck, and you'll still be crying over Park Jaehyung but not doing anything about it.”

Completely ignoring his friend's insinuations about his lack of progress, Dowoon says, "Suit yourself, but when he reports you and your name is plastered all over the news, then we're not friends, got it? I never knew you; I'm not associated with you in any way."

Younghyun snorts, rolling his eyes.

"I know you love me, Yoon Dowoon."

"I love you less when you talk like that," Dowoon grumbles, stuffing the rest of his bread into his mouth.

As it happens, Younghyun’s awful idea actually works.

Dowoon's in the library late at night, writing up a paper for Modern Politics. Professor Park had been right; the class certainly isn't a slacker class, but his expectations are reasonable and Dowoon’s found that a couple hours spent on each assignment is more than enough. Plus, the work is pretty interesting.

His phone buzzes.

Finishing up a sentence, he absentmindedly unlocks his phone with his thumb and clicks on the notification.

Finally glancing at the message, he has a near heart attack, slamming the phone face down back onto the table.

_What. The. Absolute. Fuck._

Several students at nearby tables glare at him and he apologetically ducks his head.

Palms moistening, he hesitantly slides the phone back into his hand, tilting it just far enough so he can check who sent it.

_Yep._

_Younghyun._

_Of course._

Younghyun’s chosen to send him a picture of a half-naked Professor Park Sungjin, back complete with lovely, red scratch marks running down the length of it.

The accompanying text reads, "Hot, right?"

Dowoon really doesn't want to have his professor's almost nude photo on his screen any longer than is absolutely necessary, so he types out his response using one letter per line.

_I_  
_F_  
_U_  
_C_  
_K_  
_I_  
_N_  
_G_  
_H_  
_A_  
_T_  
_E_  
_Y_  
_O_  
_U_

And because he can still see the leg of his professor's pants, he adds:

_H_  
_Y_  
_U_  
_N_  
_G_

He'll make Younghyun delete the actual photo from his phone later.

_Ugh._

"So, what, are you guys fuck buddies now or something?"

Younghyun has just finished regaling him with the sordid details of his hookup (Dowoon having had to yell at the top of his lungs the minute Younghyun had tried describing Professor Park's dick size), and from what he’d heard, the sex had been amazing. And it had all been just sex.

"I hope so," Younghyun says. "We didn't really talk about it. I have a feeling he's one of those types that'll try to cat and mouse it for a bit, but I'll get him in the end."

Dowoon shakes his head in disbelief.

That's another thing about Younghyun he'll never understand- the way he can have a casual relationship with just about anyone.

"If I ask you about your prof, you're going to say the same thing as always, right?"

Dowoon makes a face. "So? I don't _want_ anything to happen. I'm perfectly content to crush on him from afar. Not all of us have to fuck out our feelings," he says with a haughty sniff.

Younghyun, good-natured fuckboy that he is, shrugs. "I never said you have to have sex with him. What about a coffee date? Students eat out with professors all the time. Just make some excuse about wanting to discuss... _politics_. Or something." Younghyun says, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

"That's a terrible idea," Dowoon protests. "You know me, I'm the worst at talking."

"Oh pshh, you're not that bad," Younghyun reassures him. "Once you get going, you’re fine. Plus, from what you've said already, seems like Park Jaehyung is pretty competent at carrying a conversation by himself. C'mon, just try it!"

"I don't know..."

But Younghyun’s bravery and recent success must be rubbing off on him, since a second later he finds himself saying, "It wouldn't hurt to ask, right?"

Before class on Thursday, he finds himself hesitating outside the door.

_Should I ask before or after class?_

_What if he says no?_

_What if it gets weird?_

Someone clears their throat from behind him, and he jumps, side shuffling out of the way with a muttered apology.

"Everything okay, Dowoon?"

_Oh crap. It's him._

"Y-yeah!" He chokes out, voice breaking in the middle.

His professor looks amused.

"Okay, then... feel free to take a seat inside, yeah?"

Dowoon nods, stepping inside as the professor holds the door for him.

"Actually, Professor..."

He takes a deep breath, steeling himself.

"I was wondering if we could get coffee sometime?"

Professor Park's brows furrow.

"To talk! I mean. About... class?"

The corner of his professor’s lips twitch. "Is there something in particular that's confusing you?" he asks.

He really hadn’t thought that far. Dowoon racks his brain quickly.

"I guess… I really just don't understand why the U.S. electoral system is the way it is, like how could Trump win even though Clinton had the popular vote? What were they even _thinking_? Whatever happened to ‘liberty and justice for all’?"

His professor laughs at his clear tone of disbelief and Dowoon's own lips quirk in response.

"Fair enough. There are some interesting tidbits about that that might help you get a better idea of it. How about you shoot me an email with your availability, and we can set up a time?"

Dowoon nods, not quite believing his half-assed execution of Younghyun’s plan had actually worked.

"Sounds great!"

When Dowoon gets to the agreed-upon coffee shop on Saturday morning, he thinks his knees are about to buckle from nerves.

It's times like these when he wishes Younghyun were more of a morning person. Moral support of any kind would be a welcome relief right about now.

He stands in the short line for the counter, pondering what drink he should get. As always, he has no idea what all the fancy Italian-sounding names mean, just knows the americano’s that Younghyun loves are super bitter. Maybe he should stick with tea.

When he receives his mug of black tea, he turns, ready to navigate the small cafe and find an empty table.

It's then that he sees Professor Park.

The tall brunet is sitting at a corner table, staring down into his mug of what looks to be straight black coffee with a complicated expression.

He’s not quite frowning, per se. More like staring solemnly with the slightest fine crinkle between his brows.

Something about him looks lonely. Sad, even.

It makes Dowoon realize that the cheerful, buoyant attitude Professor Park always displays might be just a front. It makes him more real, somehow. Less of an ideal and more of a human being.

It gives Dowoon an unexpected burst of courage.

"Something in your coffee?" Dowoon jokes as he sets his mug down, taking the seat across.

Professor Park looks up, face automatically brightening, smiling as though a switch had been flipped.

Unlike before though, Dowoon doesn’t want to see that smile.

 _Show me what you're really feeling!_ he wants to shout.

"I was trying to discern if organic coffee beans really taste different from the regular stuff," his professor says congenially. "Honestly, I think my taste buds aren't refined enough."

If it’s a cover, it’s smoothly executed.

Dowoon shrugs.

"I'm not really a coffee drinker, so hell if I know." Then, he realizes he's just sworn in front of a professor. " _Uhh_ -"

Thankfully, Professor Park laughs.

"You're a funny guy, Dowoon. In a good way."

Dowoon doesn't know what to say to that, so he chooses not to say anything at all.

"So, about that subject you wanted to discuss-"

"Actually, Professor..." Dowoon interrupts on a whim, not quite sure where all this false bravado is coming from. "If you're not feeling up for it, we don't have to talk about work stuff."

Professor Park looks surprised.

"I-I mean! You seemed a bit down when I came in. We don't have to talk about it! But don't force yourself. And I'm here to talk... if you want."

His teacher's face changes again, tightness around his eyes loosening, smile returning but not as bright as before and a bit more wry.

A genuine smile.

"Sorry, I've been swamped with work lately," he says finally. "It must be tiring me out more than I thought. Thanks, though."

Dowoon nods, slightly disappointed at the obvious deflection, but he gets that there are probably plenty of reasons why Professor Park won’t just talk about his problems to anyone, especially with a student.

"What would you like to talk about instead?" Professor Park asks.

Dowoon blanks.

He has no fucking clue what to say to a professor who's a whole eight years older than him. What do old people even do? Pay taxes?

His thoughts must be showing on his face because Professor Park chuckles, saving him by coming up with a topic.

"How's being a drum major? I haven't had a chance to talk to many music majors."

"Oh, it's fun! But loud. My private teacher keeps nagging me to wear ear plugs but it makes me feel like I'm underwater. And I've been playing classical so far, but I've always loved jazz, so I've been thinking of switching over soon..."

From there, the two of them find common ground on their shared love of music, and Dowoon discovers it surprisingly easy to talk to Professor Park.

Before he knows it, they've spent over two hours at the café- mugs long since empty, conversation jumping from jazz to alcohol to which Olympic sport is the weirdest. (Dowoon's adamant it's race walking until Professor Park tells him of the existence of hot air ballooning in the 1900 games.)

All in all, their little not-date results in Dowoon learning a lot of things about Professor Park that makes him seem less like an unattainable fantasy and more like, well, a normal guy.

Like how Professor Park owns a 3D printer, has a fairly decent collection of records but- confoundingly- no record player, and is pretty high-ranked in LoL. (Not higher than Dowoon, though.)

Professor Park is a really eclectic guy.

It’s cool.

"Well, thanks for meeting up with me, Professor," he says when they've reached a comfortable lull in the conversation. He doesn't want to take up all of Professor Park's time, regardless of how amazing that would be.

"Please, call me Jae when we’re not in class," the man says, waving his hand around. "I hate it when people use titles, it's really stuffy."

"Oh. Okay. Um. Jae..." Dowoon amends, blushing.

"It was nice talking to you!" Professor Park- _Jae_ \- says. "I had a lot of fun. Cheered my mood up considerably."

Jae's smile is light, those worry lines on his forehead from before nowhere to be found.

"Can we do this again?" Dowoon blurts out without thinking. "When you're not busy, of course."

Jae's smile broadens, the whites of his teeth glinting along with the lenses of his glasses.

"Sure thing. I'd like that."

" _And then?_ " Younghyun asks, all but standing on top of the table to get in Dowoon's face. "What happened next?"

"And then we left. He went to his car; I went back to the dorm."

Younghyun groans, flopping back into his chair.

"Not even a goodbye kiss? On the cheek, even?"

Dowoon flushes.

"That! It wasn’t even a date! Jae- _uhh Professor Park_ \- only sees me as a student, that's all! Anyways, it's a hopeless crush, and it's not like I'm expecting anything out of it. I just enjoy talking to him; there’s no way he likes me back."

Younghyun makes an unimpressed sound.

"You should have more confidence in yourself, dude. You got the face, the abs, the deep-ass voice,” Younghyun lists, ticking off his fingers as he goes. “Adorable personality- a little bit weird- but all in all a 10 outta 10."

Younghyun looks over at him.

"Oh c'mon, stop blushing. Take a compliment for once."

Shaking his head in embarrassment, Dowoon says, "If only Jae saw what you see."

"Oh my god, Pil," Jae bemoans, burying his face in his hands. "He has the most amazing voice; it's so fucking deep it makes me feel all weird inside. _And he's so cute!_ Like a little puppy. But like a puppy that I want to mess with. _Oh lord, I'm going to hell_. I'm going to hell because I'm head over heels for a student. _A student, Pil!_ "

Wonpil, ever unhelpful, snickers at him from where he’s sprawled in the visitor chair, legs propped up on the shiny surface of Jae’s mahogany desk.

Jae swats at his friend’s exposed, hairy ankles to get his filthy shoes off the desk.

Wonpil doesn't even budge.

"Just do it, then," he says.

"Do what?" Jae asks.

"Fuck him."

Jae chokes on his own spit.

"Did you not hear a word I said? He’s a _student_! _In my class_!"

Wonpil shrugs.

“Wait till the semester’s over, then. It’s not like the university has definitive rules about dating students. It’s more of an implied thing.”

Jae shrinks in his chair, face heating. It’s not like he hasn’t thought about the possibility.

“People still talk. I don’t want things to become hard for him if word gets out. Plus, I don’t even know if he wants me in the same way,” Jae protests. “He seems like he might, but he’s really shy and it’s kinda hard to tell just by talking to him…”

“Jae,” Wonpil deadpans, levelling him with an appraising look. “He asked you out for coffee. With the flimsy excuse of wanting to discuss class, and then ended up not talking a smidge about politics when he saw that you were having a rough time. If that’s not a signal, then I don’t know what is.”

“He’s just extremely nice,” Jae points out, sighing heavily. “… If only there were a way to tell at once. I wish I could read minds.”

Wonpil laughs.

“Floundering hopelessly in what might be unrequited feelings is half the fun of love, my dude.”

Jae rolls his eyes.

“Of course a literature professor with a penchant for romantic tragedies would think so,” he states wryly.

“You know what you should do?” Wonpil asks suddenly. “Test him.”

Jae eyes his friend.

“Test him how?”

“Easy.”

Wonpil finally removes his legs from Jae’s desk, standing with an easy sophistication Jae’s always wished to possess. By all standards, Wonpil is a fairly attractive man- thick curly hair, long lashes and slender frame lending a certain cherubic countenance to his overly handsome, chiseled face. It’s too bad he’s entirely not Jae’s type, having too much cat energy for a dog person like Jae. But, well, it’s why they’re such good friends.

Wonpil rounds the corner of the desk to stand in front of him, hands saucily placed on narrow hips.

“He sounds like the innocent type, and those types tend to be hopelessly oblivious when it comes to things like this, so you’re gonna have to lay it on thick. Make it so there’s no room for doubt in his mind.”

“How?”

“Like this,” Wonpil says, swinging a leg over Jae’s so that he’s now straddling him.

“Whoa there,” Jae says, slightly panicking. “Too close for comfort, my man.”

“Shh,” Wonpil shushes, smushing a finger right up against his lips. “Touch him like this,” he instructs, cupping Jae’s cheeks and leaning in close. “And then see how he reacts. I think it’ll be pretty telling. Like, your disgusted face right now is sending rather clear signals.”

“I’m glad,” Jae deadpans. “Get off. _Now_.”

Wonpil laughs, sliding his hands around Jae’s neck to further irritate him.

“ _Wonpil._ ”

A choked noise comes from over by the half-open door and Jae looks over to see none other than Dowoon’s panicked face freezing halfway into his office.

“Sorry!” Dowoon squeaks out, face and ears already well on their way to fire hydrant red, deep voice cracking as it does when he’s nervous.

And then he’s whirling around on his heel and racing back down the hallway.

“Well, not exactly what I was going for, but this works just as well,” Wonpil muses. “Don’t just sit there!” he scolds, already removing himself from Jae. “Go after him!”

“Huh? What do I do? What do I even say?” he asks, panicking.

“You’ll figure it out!” Wonpil snaps, pushing him out the door. “Now _go_!”

Thoroughly bewildered, Jae starts down the hall in the direction Dowoon had gone.

“Remember,” Wonpil shouts after him. “If he’s crying, he likes you!”

Dowoon’s not crying.

In fact, he’s flat-out sprinting across campus, much faster than Jae thought possible. Even with Jae’s height advantage, it takes him all the way till the foreign languages building to snag the man’s wrist and stop him.

“Dowoon! Hold on!” Jae says, slightly out of breath.

The momentum of pulling on Dowoon causes him to swing around, arm flailing out, and for a crazy second Jae thinks Dowoon’s about to _hit_ him.

But no.

Dowoon bursts into _tears_.

The student looks horrified, ears the reddest they’ve ever been, and he tries to hide his face with his hands, wiping frantically at the tears.

“ _Sorry, I don’t know why… they just started coming out… I don’t know…_ ” Dowoon sobs, hiccupping as he apologizes.

Oh. _Oh no._

Some normally dormant, slightly twisted part of Jae really enjoys the sight of Dowoon crying. It’s kind of insanely cute.

He also feels bad that he’s _relieved_ that Dowoon’s crying.

It means… maybe Wonpil was right.

“Hey, don’t cry,” Jae says soothingly, rubbing Dowoon’s back.

He’s debating if he should hug Dowoon. There’s plenty of people walking by, and some of them are looking over in concern.

“Um, so…” he says, lowering his voice. “I don’t know if I’m reading this right, but Wonpil’s just a friend, Dowoon. There’s no reason what you saw should upset you.”

Dowoon pauses in his frantic tear-wiping and looks up, eyes still watery but imploring.

_Damn, he’s adorable._

“Just friends?” he asks, sniffling.

“Mhm,” Jae affirms, patting Dowoon on the head now. _Fuck it, let people stare_. “I was telling him to get off when you came in just now. He’s overly flirty with people he’s close to and generally a big pain in the ass.”

Dowoon nods solemnly. “I know someone exactly like that.”

Jae snorts.

And then Dowoon laughs.

And then they’re both laughing at the absurdity of the situation.

When their laughter trails off, Dowoon seems to realize where they are, and the blush immediately takes over his face once more.

“Um. Can we. Move?” he asks, appearing to have clammed right back up into his normal, shy self.

Jae nods, grinning.

“My office?”

_I can’t believe I cried in front of him._

Dowoon’s currently beating himself up for his frankly mortifying display of emotions in front of Jae earlier.

_He must totally think I’m some dumb kid who can’t handle his feelings._

He then remembers what Jae had said once he’d run him down across campus. Horror seeps into his bones.

_Oh my god, he knows how I feel about him. Fuck, he’s going to tell me to never talk to him again. Am I going to have to drop his class? Leave the university? What if-_

“So…”

Dowoon jumps from where he’s seated on Jae’s leather couch, a politely measured three feet of space between them.

“Do you like me, Dowoon?”

He freezes, muscles contracting into a rigid mass of solid ice. He doesn’t know what to say to save the situation.

“Because… I like you,” Jae confesses. “More than I should.”

Dowoon whips his head around to look at Jae with startled eyes.

_No… no way._

“And I know it’s entirely inappropriate for a professor to feel this way for a student, but I thought I should let you know. If it makes you uncomfortable, we can drop it and never talk about it again. But I wanted to be honest with you.”

“No!” Dowoon shouts.

Jae’s mouth drops open, brows furrowing. He looks hurt.

“I mean, I don’t want to stop talking. And I do like you! A lot. Really,” he adds, too embarrassed to maintain eye contact. He picks at the sleeves of his hoodie.

“I’m glad,” Jae says.

Something about Jae’s voice makes him look up again. Jae has a contemplative sort of look now, that vaguely sad feeling from the café back on his face.

“Um…” Dowoon mumbles, confused, not liking that look.

_If our feelings are shared, isn’t that a good thing?_

“I hope you understand when I say I wasn’t planning on acting on my feelings,” Jae explains. “I was content to admire you afar, but I couldn’t stand to see you hurting like that, so it kind of just… came out. I don’t think I can do anything with you in good conscience.”

Dowoon nods, disappointed but resigned. This is what he’d expected from the start anyways. It’s already more than he could have dreamed, for Jae to like him back.

He fiddles with his fingers, wondering where they go from here. His palms are sweaty, his eyes are a bit swollen from the crying earlier, and overall, he feels absolutely miserable. All he wants is to return to the dorm and curl up in bed for the foreseeable future.

Jae's not saying anything either, and Dowoon wonders if this is his cue to leave.

He chances a quick glance up.

To his surprise, Jae looks pretty depressed too.

“If…” Jae starts again, mouth contorted in a grimace. “I don't know if this a good idea, but I really want to. And you seem like you really want to... So I'll just say it. If you want to try dating, we can. But it'd have to wait till the end of the semester. A-and only if that’s something you want.”

_No._

_Fucking._

_Way!_

_No fucking way._

_No. What?_

Jae chuckles weakly. "Yeah, you're right, totally inappropriate. I shouldn't have-"

“No, I totally agree!” Dowoon blurts before he can help himself. “I mean, we shouldn’t do anything! Right now! But I’d like to later… if you want?” he echoes.

Jae grins, that familiar smile crinkling at his eyes.

“Okay,” he agrees.

“Okay,” Dowoon repeats, hope lifting his heart up so high it’s terrifying.

He stands, gathering his bag.

“Leaving so soon?” Jae asks, looking disappointed as he follows Dowoon to the door.

Dowoon bites his lip. _Jae’s so cute._

“Yeah, I… have class,” he says. “But can we get coffee again this Saturday? Not like! A date. Just. Like last time,” he clarifies.

“That sounds amazing,” Jae agrees, grinning.

“And…”

Dowoon fidgets, not sure if this is pushing it.

But he follows his heart, leaning forward and onto his tiptoes, pressing his lips in a light, chaste kiss against his professor’s lips.

Jae’s lips are every bit as soft and plush as they appear.

“Um. Just. A promise,” he says, pulling away, heat blooming across his face. “Uh, bye!”

Wrenching open the door without looking at Jae’s reaction, he stumbles out of the room and down the hallway, preparing to combust into smithereens as soon as possible.

He gets as far as the tree right outside the building before he has to crouch down low, internally screaming with his face buried in his hands.

Back inside the office, Jae slides to the floor, back supported by the door until his ass hits the ground.

He brings a finger up to his still-tingling lips, face completely flushed.

He thinks to himself, _I can’t wait for the semester to be over._

“You _didn’t!_ ” Younghyun yells.

“I _did!_ ” Dowoon cries from where he’s face-down in Younghyun’s bed.

“I’m so fucking proud of you! I didn’t know you had it in you!”

Dowoon screams into the mattress, voice already slightly sore from all the screaming he’d done earlier. (Too distracted to try to sit through class, he’d returned to his dorm and continued his meltdown there.)

Younghyun’s warm weight plops down onto his back, hugging him from behind. “Guess what?” Younghyun asks, wiggling them to and fro on the bed.

“What?” Dowoon pauses his bemoaning long enough to ask.

“We can go on double dates now!”

Dowoon rolls onto his back, displacing his friend off to the side.

“ _Haa_ ,” he sighs heavily. “No. Jae and I aren’t going to do anything until the semester’s over. Besides, I thought you were just in a casual thing with Sungjin.”

“Yeah, but…”

Younghyun’s face looks funny.

“You’re thinking about dating him seriously?” Dowoon asks, incredulous.

“He’s so… _controlling,_ ” Younghyun says. “I hate it. But I also kind of love it. Like, he actually _ordered_ me to not sleep with others while we’re having this thing. And like, it makes me want to do the opposite just to see what he’ll do. But it also makes me happy.”

Dowoon shakes his head in disbelief.

“Look at you. Who knew you just wanted someone to tie you down? Our resident fuckboy becoming all domestic.”

Younghyun grins.

“I know, right? But anyways,” he says, tackling Dowoon in another hug. “I’m so happy for you! For us!”

The end of the semester doesn’t come soon enough for Dowoon.

He and Jae have continued their not-really-a-date dates, sometimes at the coffee shop, sometimes at the nearby art museum, sometimes at high-end restaurants that Jae may or may not have tricked Dowoon into eating at in an attempt to spoil him. (Dowoon had not had the heart to leave after seeing Jae’s hope-filled face, but suffice to say, fancy restaurants were out of the question after that.)

It’s been hard being discrete and not letting his feelings get out of hand while they’ve been waiting (and it’s been so fucking hard paying attention in class when all Dowoon can do is think about how gorgeous Park Jaehyung is), but they’ve managed.

Dowoon had been a bit fearful that he was only into Jae due to some innate curiosity in the forbidden, but every not-a-date had only left him reeling with the revelation that Jae is just so… _everything._

Aside from how obviously attractive Jae is, he’s also kind, funny, sometimes awkward, and nerdy but really so damn cool.

And somehow, Jae seems to think Dowoon’s cool, too.

Dowoon’s just finished his last final of the semester, and thank god because ramen and Red Bull can only get you so far in life. He exits the building, jogging down the steps with the taste of freedom on his tongue.

“Hyuung,” he groans before colliding into the warm, sturdy mass that is Younghyun.

Younghyun chuckles, wrapping him up in a bear hug. “We’re free! Let’s go get ice cream!” he exclaims, attempting to bounce up and down but only succeeding in jerking Dowoon back and forth as he continues to unsuccessfully melt into a puddle.

“ _Mmrph_ ,” Dowoon grumbles, pinching his friend in a half-hearted attempt to make him stop moving.

“Need some help, Younghyun?” a voice like honey asks, and suddenly Dowoon has more energy than he’s ever had in his life.

He whips back upright and off of Younghyun, who’s smirking and saying, “Nah don’t worry, we're good. In fact, I just remembered I gotta go bother the other Professor Park about something. Let’s get ice cream later, Woonie! See ya!”

And then Younghyun- that traitor- is off and running, gleefully winking at Dowoon.

There’s a lengthy silence where Dowoon and Jae stare into each other’s eyes, content to bask in the moment they’ve been anticipating for months.

Someone politely clears their throat from behind Jae, and it’s only then that Dowoon notices Professor Kim had been there from the start. “I’ll leave you to it then,” he says drily, amused glint in his eyes. Dowoon’s ears heat at the obvious insinuation. “Don’t forget about the department dinner tonight, Jae.”

Professor Kim walks off with a wave while Jae gives him the most long-suffering glare possible.

The sight makes Dowoon laugh. “It’s a good thing he and Younghyun hyung haven’t really gotten acquainted yet. I have a feeling they’d be even worse when put together.”

Jae’s glare softens into a wry smile. “You’re totally right. Let’s make sure we prevent that for as long as possible.”

There’s another brief pause of happy and prolonged eye contact before Jae clears his throat and nudges Dowoon gently with his shoulder.

“Shall we?”

Dowoon beams.

“We shall.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! As always, you can find me on twt @otaiwanmei


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